Poppy's Picnic (Poppy's Place Short)

by Stephanie Beck

  Michael’s stomach growled. “Perfect timing. Are the girls still at school?”

  Poppy knelt and pulled out containers. “Your mom is picking them up, so I thought I’d come out here with a treat for you guys.”

  Trevor sat behind Poppy and lifted her onto his lap. She twisted to wrap her arms around him.

  “You are the real treat.” Trevor kissed up her neck. “You two go ahead and have what’s in the basket. I’ve got something better.”

  Michael rolled his eyes, but took over unloading the basket. Trevor had been underfoot, beating around the house since they’d returned from San Antonio. He wanted to retire from the gaming industry, but that wouldn’t happen until he found something new to consume his interests. When Lola was a baby he’d sold most of his interest in his gaming business, keeping his toes in development.

  Poppy swatted Trevor and sat back on the blanket. She fixed her hair before handing each of them a plate.

  “It’s not fancy, but after your hard work, I thought you’d be hungry. Look how far you’ve already gotten. I can finish the rest tomorrow.”

  “We don’t mind,” Cody said, a far cry from his earlier griping. “It’s not that bad. What’s in the packages?”

  She tore the first lid open and presented sandwiches…tiny ones.

  Michael frowned. It would take four or five to equal a full sandwich. “Do we stack them?”

  “Um, sure.” She thrust the container into his arms. “Go nuts. You can stack the ham and turkey ones together and make a club.”

  She set an opened tub of baby carrots on the blanket. A third revealed little grapes, and still another held tiny teddy bear crackers.

  “Oh, I get it. You were making lunch for the girls, but Mom picked them up. I would have liked a picnic with them, too.” Michael took a handful of honey bears. “Maybe we can do that later this week.”

  Poppy rubbed her palms together but didn’t meet his gaze. “Sure. I can make this again.”

  Cody took a bite of his sandwich. Their wife seemed…tense. He chewed slowly, the tiny sandwich gone in two bites. Poppy wasn’t herself after returning from San Antonio. Her moods swung all over and things she’d never deemed important in the past suddenly had to be done right away.

  The worst came at just after ten o’clock most nights, when she headed to her room. Alone. He’d hoped after their trip, the two of them would maintain the closeness they’d enjoyed. They’d connected, and he’d returned home with a renewed desire to always be with her. He loved her, had for a long time, but the spark he’d let ease into the affection and love of everyday sort of life had flamed to life, and he wanted to continue stoking it. She didn’t seem to feel the same. He tried to peg if it could be woman’s issues, but Poppy never had big problems with PMS. Maybe it was just the emotional strain from having to deal with her bonehead father that made her so closed.

  “What have you been up to this morning, darlin’?” he asked.

  Poppy paused mid-bite. “Not a whole lot. I labeled and decorated some blueberry jam jars for the next farmer’s market. Then I talked to Paul and Thomas. After that I made this, and here I am.”

  She added a bright smile, but he doubted its authenticity.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” Trevor leaned over and kissed her. “Not only was I hungry, I was missing you.”

  He had a way of not picking up on subtle changes—ignorance seemed to be his bliss. He probably didn’t notice Poppy’s tension when he kissed her, but Cody did. His oldest brother frowned as well.

  “I missed you, too.” She set her food down and snuggled into Trevor’s lap again.

  Cody took a third sandwich, but kept her in his line of sight the entire time. She seemed happy to nibble on her food. Maybe they were reading too much into her behavior. He didn’t know; he just wanted to be back on even ground with her.

  “So, I wanted to talk to you three,” Poppy said after most of the sandwiches were gone and they were down to grapes and teddy bear crackers.

  Cody shifted closer, wishing Poppy sat on his lap instead. The middle brother held onto her tightly. His eyes twitched, and though he was always affectionate, he didn’t usually go so strong when they were all together. He kissed her neck.

  “Um, I know I’ve been a little off since San Antonia and I’m just so thankful for you three. You’ve been so patient. I’ve just…with Rose and my father….”

  It still killed him that her family failed in so many areas. Of all the kinds of drama he hated, the family kind was at the top of the list. It ruined everything without reasons he deemed important enough to matter in the first place.

  “Anyway, it shook me more than I thought.” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “But there’s more—”

  “Listen, I have to come clean here,” Trevor said.

  She pulled away, eyebrow high in question. “Oh?”

  He tightened his arms around her. “Yeah, I ah, after we got back, I got in touch with your sister Rose’s ex-husband. Dougie and I go way back. He’s wanted to buy into my company for years, but I always tell him to fuck squirrels. This time, I offered to sell him my shares if he finalized the divorce on your sister’s terms”

  Poppy pulled free and stood up. Cody and Michael gaped. This was news to them, but then, Trevor rarely shared his business dealings. His business moved at a rapid pace, but this situation fell mighty close to home…even closer to Poppy. She glared at him, her fists clenched.

  He eased to his feet, his shoulders rounded. “I should have told you sooner, but I wasn’t sure he’d go through with it.”

  She shook her head, her cheeks bright red even as the rest of her face paled. “I can’t believe you.”

  Cody wanted to defend his brother, especially if his interference had fixed the issues with Rose. He’d felt like they left unfinished business in San Antonio. If Trevor played a part in wrapping up an ugly divorce and made sure Rose was covered enough to not have to bother Poppy again for money or support—his brother had tied up the last loose strings.

  She strode to the four-wheeler, taking off with a loud roar of the engine without looking back.

  Trevor chased after her on foot. “Come on, babe. Hear me out.”

  Cody twisted the cap on a fresh bottle of water. “That didn’t go well. Think we should referee?”

  “Ah, hell no. He made that particular mess all on his own. He can clean it up.” Michael glanced over his shoulder at the field. “And he’s going to leave the rest for us, too. Ass.”

  Cody had put the peas out of mind during lunch. “Maybe Trevor picked the right time to start a fight.”

  Chapter Three

  Trevor chased Poppy down, regretting telling her about her sister’s business—actually wishing he’d gone with his first instinct not to share at all.

  “Come on,” he called as she maneuvered the four-wheeler over the lumpy terrain. “Let’s talk about this.”

  She kept driving, but one rut, the deep one Paul always swore he was going to smooth out, caught her front tires and stopped her. While she rocked her body forward and back to gain momentum, Trevor caught up, jumping the narrow but deep rut and reaching around her. She smacked his hands away, but he killed the engine and pulled the key out.

  She glared at him. “Give it back.”

  “Not until we talk.”

  “About what? Anything at this point is just filler because you already butted your big nose in where it didn’t belong.” She whacked her palms against the steering bar. “Ugh. You make me so mad sometimes. Why do you have to be so overbearing? This was not your problem to fix.”

  It was a problem that had the potential to creep up on them and make her cry again. Rose was a user; he’d seen her kind before. She might act like she wanted to care for herself, but she wanted to be taken care of—and since Doug was her husband, that was his job. Talking over the phone with him had solidified Trevor’s desire to keep Poppy as far away from the situation—and the couple—as possible. He had unloaded
a company he no longer enjoyed, Doug got what he wanted, and Rose ultimately got the alimony she’d demanded. So many problems were demolished with one move, yet he hadn’t talked to his wife about it. Now he would pay.

  “Give me the keys.” She held her hand out.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Fine, I’ll walk.” She swung her legs over the seat and jumped off, putting the vehicle between them.

  “You know you don’t want to walk away,” he called after she took two steps. “You’d rather yell at me.”

  She spun and pointed her finger. “This was out of line. My family is my problem. You can’t just throw your money around to fix things. Don’t you get it? They aren’t fixable. You wasted money, wasted your business, and wasted your time.”

  “It was my money, business, and time to piss away,” he replied, trying hard to not match her heated tone. “It’s not like I gave him the company. He paid out the nose for it, and part of the deal was his agreement to settle with Rose. Your family, at least Rose, shouldn’t bother us again.”

  “The ends justify the means? Really? She is my family and my problem. My family will always be my problem.”

  He stepped toward her, careful of the rocks jutting out around the foot-wide rut. The last shot hadn’t been as angry. He’d dealt with her family issues before, especially in moments when he messed up. He’d spent the last seven years trying to be more considerate—and finally having met her father a few months back, he’d redoubled his efforts. How far they’d come from the early days when she’d been mired in guilt and confusion, and he’d been too selfish to know how to help. She didn’t run from her pain any longer, but he was tired of watching her close herself off from him.

  “Babe, you know you don’t have to fight this battle alone.” He slowly closed the distance. “I would take them on by myself if I thought it would help.”

  “Nothing helps.” She stomped her foot, anger in her flashing eyes. “They are broken beyond repair. You could throw all your time and energy and money into them, and they’d still suck. No more. You have to promise you won’t give them anything else.”

  “I didn’t give Doug my company.”

  “You gave him an opportunity in exchange for a benefit for my sister,” she said. “That counts.”

  He didn’t see it, but hell, he didn’t have to. “You have my word.”

  She frowned. “Just like that?”

  He reached for her, gently rubbing her bare arms. “Yeah, just like that.”

  Her shoulders fell. “But you sold part of your company for them. You worked so hard for what you have. I feel sick that you sacrificed even a little to help them.”

  He’d been waiting for an opening to come clean for years. He’d seen Michael struggle with work identity before him and figured only one of them could have a meltdown at a time, so had stayed quiet. If she was going to feel guilty, and her big, teary blue eyes said she was swimming in it, he needed to tell the truth.

  He leaned back against the four-wheeler, hauling her against his body. “Listen, my decision is not entirely selfless. I’ve wanted to sell out for the past six years.”

  “Hold still, you have a smudge of dirt.” She rubbed her thumb against his cheek. “What do you mean about wanting to sell for so long?”

  “I mean, when I stayed home after the twins were born, I seriously considered selling out my part in the business and talked to my partners, but they wouldn’t go with it at the time. I’ve phased back enough over the years to make this transition as painless as possible. It’s done. Everyone is happy.”

  “But you enjoy your work.”

  He sighed. “Not in a long time. Even before I met you, I was searching for other challenges. That’s how I got into racing.”

  “And I made you get out of it.” She winced.

  “No, you did not. It didn’t make sense to do it any longer.” He tucked his knuckle under her chin and lifted her face. “Meeting you was a serious game changer. I’ve been fucking domestic since then and damned if I don’t enjoy it. I love doing canning shit with you. Getting the girls ready for school on the mornings you want to sleep in is in the top ten for my favorite things. It’s…yeah, it’s the shit for me.”

  “Why have you never mentioned this before?”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because, hell, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to be done with my other stuff just because I enjoyed something new. Now, I know. Selling to Doug was the easiest decision I ever made. I made it hurt for him—no worries there. Money is not going to be an issue.”

  She rubbed his cheek but no longer scrubbed. “I’m not worried about money. I’m worried about you being happy.”

  “I’ve been ecstatic since I signed on the dotted line. I don’t know if Dougie is; he jumped into a creative trash pit. It was getting ugly, and I’m happy to be gone. I can always, you know, do balloon animal shows or something if finances get tight.”

  She smirked. “I don’t think the other moms would hire you…all those f-bombs. Not very clown-like.”

  “Are you going to be okay with me around more? We can still travel. I would just, you know, be able to be with you instead of in meetings all the damn time.”

  “So, you’re saying you’ll be fulltime with me? At my beck and call?”

  He squeezed her ass. “Damn right. I’ll be your cabana boy.”

  “I would rather have a laundry boy, but we can hammer the details out later. I still wish you’d consulted me. I know it’s petty, but I really hate that Rose is going to end up getting what she wants because of a deal you made—even in a roundabout way.”

  “I understand, and if my business runs into yours again, I’ll be more open. I might not always do what you want, but you’ll know before I do it.”

  She leaned into him, his chest hard against her breasts. “I prefer that without the disclaimer, but I understand and appreciate it. And you. I love you so much.”

  He lifted her onto the front rack. She drew her legs up and around his waist, welcoming him closer. When she nibbled his bottom lip, he mentally apologized to his brothers who would have to finish weeding by themselves. Ah, screw ‘em. They’d do the same thing if given the chance.

  She gave his lip another little tug. Though he hated to let go of his soft prize, he moved his hands from her butt to the fly of her jean shorts, making quick work of the button and zipper. She lifted up, and he shucked them down, leaving them dangling on her left foot.

  “Hmm.” He looked her up and down before stripping off his shirt. “This is good.”

  While she laughed, he sank to his knees and parted hers. She grasped the bars, holding tight as he licked her vagina. The breeze picked up, and she shivered. He blew on her beautiful pink opening, earning another shiver before he laved her pussy and darted his tongue inside.

  When he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked, her breath drew in with a sharp whoosh. He pulled away and tapped her silky button. She looked down with wide eyes. He grinned.

  “You are such a tease,” she said.

  “Yep.” He tapped her again. “I want you to come, and then I want to fuck you until you come again.”

  She relaxed again. “Keep that up and you’ll get your way.”

  He slipped a finger inside her and returned to licking. Sweet. Soft. Mine. She tilted her hips, begging for more without words. He squeezed her thigh with his free hand to keep her in place. She started to protest, but he pressed a fraction deeper and rubbed her very happy spot. The firm muscles under his palm tightened. If he could get her off, she’d forget about being in the woods in broad daylight long enough for them to really make up. He darted his tongue around her clit before sucking it hard. The tight string of her muscles snapped, and her gasps turned to deep moans.

  “Nice,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her clit. “You must have been pretty wound to come that quickly. Let’s see what we can do about releasing a little more tension.”

  Trevor eased to hi
s feet, keeping his fingers in their warm, wet place while one-handedly wiggling out of his shorts and boxers. It had been way too long since they’d had sex outside. The leaves filtered the sunshine over Poppy’s body. He wanted her shirt gone, but when he reached for the hem, she swatted him.

  “Someone might come,” she whispered, shimmying to sitting up.

  “Someone already did and will again shortly.”

  She shook her head and caressed his hard cock. When she squeezed, it took all his control not to groan. The ATV offered a steady brace for his hands on either side of her hips while she worked him, paying special attention to the tip. Pre-cum shot out. She smoothed it over him, the added lubrication making her strokes even better. The breeze hit again, but even that wasn’t enough to cool him off. Whether their open location made her nervous or hot—speeding up her usual approach—Trevor didn’t give a shit. All that mattered was getting inside her and making her scream again. She scooted forward. Trevor grabbed onto her hips, lifting her just high enough to align.

  They moaned together as he slid in. His fingers dug into the flesh of her ass, but as good as she felt, he didn’t have the strength to maintain the position. The four-wheeler’s height put him at a disadvantage. His arms strained to keep Poppy at the right angle while he perched on his tiptoes. She held tight to his shoulders, her face buried in his neck, sexy little whimpers emerging with every thrust.

  Trevor looked around for some assistance. Stopping now would be the worst fucking thing that could happen. Worse than pulling peas. Worse than fighting with her. The rocks he’d nearly tripped over now offered inspiration. He grinned, stepped onto one, and slid into Poppy at the same time. With the added traction, he dug his feet in and thrust harder. The sexy whimper turned to a moan. He gritted his teeth and pushed again. When she’d been teasing him with the hand job, he hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten him to the edge.

  Poppy rolled her hips, taking him deeper. Her pussy tightened all around him as it always did the moment before she came. The ATV rocked under their momentum. He held her hips tighter, so she wouldn’t send them in motion, but her wild movements drew at his dick, killing his good intentions.